1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an insulation displacement contact (IDC) connector, and particularly to an IDC connector which can properly position a flat cable therein with minimal risk of damage the IDC connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Insulation displacement contact (IDC) connectors, also known as flat cable connectors or ribbon cable connectors, are widely used to mount cables in a cable assembly and thereby transmit signals between computers and peripheral devices. Generally, the flat cable consists of a plurality of parallel conductive cable lines. Each line is enclosed in a sheath made of an insulative material, such as plastic. An IDC connector, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,120,319 and 6,193,545, is commonly used to terminate the flat cable by piercing the corresponding sheath of each line. Referring to FIG. 4, a conventional IDC connector 6 comprises a housing 60, a plurality of electrical contacts 61 received in the housing 60, an insulative cover 63, and a locking member 62.
The housing 60 comprises a main body portion 601, and a pair of receptacles 604 at opposite ends of the body portion 601 respectively. Each receptacle 604 comprises an inner wall 6043, two parallel sidewalls 6041 extending from the inner wall 6043, and an outer wall 6040 interconnecting the two sidewalls 6041 and being opposite from the inner wall 6043. A wedge 6045 is formed on a lower portion of the inner wall 6043. The contacts 61 are received in the body portion 601 of the housing 60. Each contact 61 comprises a forked tail 610 protruding out from a top of the body portion 601. The cover 63 has two U-shaped latches 630 depending from opposite ends thereof respectively, and the locking member 62 has a pair of arms 620 depending from opposite ends thereof respectively.
When the IDC connector 6 is assembled with a flat cable (not shown), firstly, the latches 630 of the cover 63 are inserted into the corresponding receptacles 604 of the housing 60, with the latches 630 engaging with the wedges 6045. The cover 63 and the housing 60 define a receiving space therebetween for receiving a predetermined section of the flat cable. In this process, the forked tails 610 of the contacts 61 pierce the sheaths of the flat cable, and thereby electrically connect with the flat cable. Then the flat cable is folded back over onto a top of the cover 63. The arms 620 of the locking member 62 are inserted into the corresponding receptacles 604, and engagingly abut against the outer walls 6040.
However, when the arms 620 are inserted into the receptacles 604, the outer walls 6040 are liable to substantially deform or even break due to compression from the arms 620. Yet if a space between each inner wall 6043 and its corresponding outer wall 6040 is increased to reduce deformation of the outer wall 6040, the corresponding arm 620 is liable to only loosely clasp the outer wall 6040.
In view of the above, a new IDC connector that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an insulation displacement contact (IDC) connector which can reliably connect with a flat cable with minimal risk of damage to the IDC connector.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, an insulation displacement contact (IDC) connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical contacts received in the housing and protruding out from a top of the housing, an insulative cover and a locking member. The housing comprises a body portion and two receptacles at opposite ends of the body portion. Each receptacle comprises an inner wall, two parallel sidewalls extending from the inner wall, and an outer wall interconnecting the two sidewalls. Each of the outer walls defines two gaps respectively adjacent the sidewalls for providing the outer wall with better elasticity. Each gap spans from a bottom edge of the outer wall to a middle section of the outer wall, and has a determined height. The cover has two U-shaped latches depending from opposite ends thereof respectively, and the locking member has two arms depending from opposite ends thereof respectively. The latches and the arms insert into the receptacles with the outer walls elastically deforming, thereby the cover and the locking member engaging with the housing in order to force the forked tails of the contacts to electrically connect with a determined section of a flat cable, while not damage the outer walls of the receptacles.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become parent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction accompanying drawings, in which: